Ash tray and cigar extinguisher



April 16, 1929. r c. TH O MAS- 1,709,330

:ASH TRAY AN]? CIGAR EXTINGUISHER Filed Oct. 16, 1925 W I T134 INVENTORBeg z'naZd 6227mm wiw z A TTORNEY PATENT OFFICE.

REGINALD O. THOMAS, 0F BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

ASH TRAY CIGAR EXTINGUISHER.

Application filed October 16, 1925. Serial No. 62,709.

'to provide a neat, simplified and inexpensive form of receptacle forreceiving, holding, extinguishing the lighted end of one or more cigarsintroduced into the same and which will additionally function as areceptacle for receiving ashes flicked from the cigar while in use andfor receiving the ashes and cigar butts after the latter has beenextinguished.

In this specification and in the annexed claims the expression cigar isused in a generic sense to indicate the conventional full size cigar,small size cigar, cigarettes and similar preformed smoking products.

With the intent of preventing a lighted cigar from smothering andsmoking when removed from the smokers lips, it has been suggestedheretofore to extinguish the lighted end by a crushing action usually byinserting the lighted end between powerfully actuated crushing jawswhich function withvarying degrees of crushing effect by the act of theoperator pressing some form of manually actuated lever or handlecontrolling the crushing jaws. Any crushing action however obviouslydestroys not only the burning end but also the adjacent unlit portion ofthe cigar and in most cases the cigar as an entirety is crushed or sobadly distorted as to prevent it from being again used. It frequentlyhappens that a smoker desires to lay the cigar aside for a moment withthe intent of relighting it and continuing the smoke. This of course isim ossible with the known form of extinguis ers of the crushing type. I

Accordingly, one of the features of the present disclosure is'to providefor the extinguishing of the lighted end by a gentle, pressing,smothering action which will extinguish the lighted end more by shuttingofi the free access of combustion supporting air than by any mutilatingaction resembling a crushing efie'ct. It is apparent that any pinchingor smothering action which must be gentle in its workin to attain theobject herein featured, wou d have to be automatical designed tocompensate for the difference 1n slze or diameter of the different typesof cigars which it is designed to accommodate. For instance, with asmall diametered, frail article like a cigarette, a weak pinching of thelighted end is all that is required, and any greater action-would crushthe cigarette while with a larger object such as a full size cigar anyweak pinching effect would not be effective in that the large size cigarwould resist the light inchlng action of Weak jaws and would of coursecontinue to smoke.

Accordingly, another object of the inven tion is to provide a form ofextinguisher mechanism which will be controlled more or lessautomatically'by the type of cigar introduced thereto and which willfunction irrespective of the large or small size of the introduced cigarto extinguish the same by smothering action without materiallydistorting the same.

Another object of the invention is to prov1de an extinguisher which willnot be actuated in the intensity of its pinching or squeezing operationby any manual control on the part of the operator, and in this way toavoid any tendency of the operator inadvertently crushing the cigarincidental to extinguishing the same.

This phase of the invention is attained by forming the extinguisher oftwo smothering plates adapted to receive the cigar therebetween andwhich plates are moved into their open operative position solely by theintroduction of the cigar therebetween, and in which the openingmovement of the plates are resisted by the progressive introduction ofsprings disposed so that with increased angularity of opening aprogressively increased degree 0 resistance is introduced to suchopening movement.

Another object of the invention is to provide an extinguisher of thetype outlined in which the previously extin uished cigar is y dischargedt rom the extinguisher and permitted to drop into the ash receptacletherebelow incidental to the "introduction of the next succeeding cigarinto the extinguisher.

It is quite common with ash trays of the open to type that when theashes are flicked or knoc ed off the end of the lighted cigar there is atendency for the ashes to be scattered about the vicinity;

Another object of the invention herein disclosed is to provide a type ofopen top ash tray in which there will be a tendency for local draughtsto be directed across the same in such way as to carry the ashes to thecenter of the ash tray and beneath the extinguisher and in this wayminimize any tendency for the same to scatter about the room.

Another object of the invent-ion is to provide a structure which will beornamental and of pleasing appearance and which can be readilyconstructed with die operations, and which will feature an arrangementof parts so that when demounted ready access is attained to all partsfor cleaning and repairing.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will be in partobvious from an inspection of the accompanying drawings and in part willbe more fully set forth in the following particular description of oneform of device embodying my invention, and the invention also consistsin certain new and novel features of construction and comi bination ofparts hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings 2-- Figure 1 is a, plan view looking downupon a preferred embodiment of the invention with the two partsassembled;

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure1 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows;

Figure 3 is a similar View taken on the line 33 of Figure 1 looking inthe direction of the arrows; and

Figures 4 and 5 are detailed explanatory views showing, in Figure 4 theposition of the extinguisher with a small size cigar or cigarette inposition and in Figure 5 showing the extinguisher with a large sizecigar in position.

In the following description and in the claims, parts will be identifiedby specific names for convenience of expression but they are intended tobe as generic in their application to similar parts as the art willpermit.

There is shown in the several figures a two-part assembly, one partcomprising a bottom supported receptacle constituting an ash tray anddesigned to receive ashes and cigar butts admitted either directlythereto, or received through a centrally disposed combined chute andextinguisher 11 constituting the other part of the completed assembly.

The ash tray 10 is somewhat H-shaped in plan comprising a centralportion 12 and two wing portions 13 and 14. Opposite ends of the wingportions have their tops closed by means of a saddle 15 for supportingthe cigars in a horizontal position as is usual. in such constructions.The top portion of the wings between the saddle are open as shown at 16to provide access to the ash tray when the extinguisher 11 is inposition thereon as shown in the several views of the drawing.

The extinguisher 11 has an upper portion 17 constituting a chuterectangular in horizontal cross section. Two opposite walls 18 and 19 ofthis chute are continued below the upper chute forming portion 18 andhave their lower ends turned back upon themselves to form a pair ofhollow outstanding feet 20 and 21 substantially square in cross sectionas shown in Figure 3 and by means of which the extinguisher may besupported independently of the ash tray, and which feet coact with theash tray to provide a widespreading base for the assembly as a whole.The dependingportion of the walls 18 and 19 have a spring clutching gripon the central portion 12 of the ash tray 10, so that the assembly as awhole may be lifted or moved from place to place by handling the upperchute part.

The other two sides 22 and 23 (see Figure 2) forming the ash chute havetheir lower ends outwardly and downwardly flared to form a pair of airdeflectors 2 1 and 25 disposed, when the two parts are assembled asshown in Figure 2, to be positioned within the corresponding wings andto face the opening 16 at the top of the associated wing. By thisconstruction it is seen that air blowing against the side of the chutewill be deflected by the battle on that sideto form a gentle whirlwithin the ash receiving space therebelow in the associated wing andthere will be a resulting tendency of any loose ashes to collect'in thecenter of the ash tray beneath the superposed extinguisher 11.

The extinguisher is formed of two depending jaw plates 26 and 27coacting to form the fire extinguishing feature of this disclosure. Theplates are pivoted along their upper edges respectively on pivot pins 28and 29 the ends of which pins are received in recesses 30 in the sidewalls 18 and 19 as shown in Figures 4 and 5. The upper edges of thesejaw plates are lapped back upon themselves to form hinge connectionswith their associated pivot pins. The upper portions of the plates arecurved from their pivotal edges towards each other to form an upperconvexed portion 81 and a lower substantially straight verticallydepending portion 32. These plates coact to form at their upper portionsa V-shaped, or perhaps more accurately described, a Y-shaped passageway33 for receiving the lighted ends of the cigars. The lower portions of'these jaw plates coact to form a narrow, vertically disposed chokepassageway' Set discharging at its lower end into the ash receptacle.l-Vhen normally disposed each of the plates is in light bearing contactwith the free end of a leaf spring 36 and this sprin is backed by asecond leaf spring 37, the free end of of the spring 36 and both ofwhich springs are secured at their upper ends by fastening the same tothe upper portion of the walls 22 and 23 as indicated at 38. It is notedthat these jaw plates are free of any manually actuated control mediumand are restored to their normally closed, inoperative position solelyby the action of the backing springs.

In operation and assuming first that 1t 15 desired to introduce into theextinguisher a small size cigar or cigarette with its lighted endpointing downwardly as shown in Figure 4, it is appreciated that thecigarette may be gently forced downwardly and vertically between therounded faces of the jaws forming the extinguishing clamp. As the smallsize cigar or cigarette illustrated has a relatively; small diameter thejaw forming lates will be moved into open pos tion as s own in Figure 4,this movement being resisted by the tension of the relatively light,frail spring 36. If the operator desires to be especially careful thatthe cigar be not mutilated he can, in the act of inserting the cigar,cause his fingers to bear on the rounded faces 31 to move them apart,then insert the cigar and gently release the finger pressure on the jawplates. This will permit the plates to close in gently on the cigar,after which it may be withdrawn either with or without releasing thespring tensionon the jaw plates.

However, should a large size cigar be introduced, as is shown in Figure5, the jaw plates will be moved to a greater extent of open position andin this way the opening movement of the plates will be resisted by thecombined effect of the two springs. It is obviously within the scope ofthe invention to multiply the number of springs which should oppose thesuccessive stages of opening movements of the jaw so that it may beresisted by the sequential action of springs of progressively greaterrigidity.

In either case the cigar is held with that degree of tension which willbe sufiicient to pinch and thus extinguish the lighted cigar heldtherebetween but which will not be so intense in its inching effect asto materially crush the lighted end or in any other way distort the sameso that it cannot be relighted or reused.

The long narrow passageway 34 below the lighted end of the cigarapparently forms a choke passageway which does not permit free access ofcombustion supporting air, and the lighted end is thus extinguished moreby the act of shutting oii' the air supply than by crushing the end ofthe cigar. As noted in Figures 4 and 5 the pinching action is confinedto the extreme lighted end and there is no need of introducing the cigarfurther into the jaw unless it is desired to discard dental ressing oilthe cigar in which case'it will be shoved further down between the jaws.

In order to discharge the cigar through the extinguisher into the ashtray it is simply necessary for the operator to push wit or in introucin another cigar, the incithe fingers on the curved upper aces of thejaws or the incoming cigar in opening the jaws will permit thepreviously. inserted cigar positioned therebetween to drop through thechute passageway 34 into the ash tray therebelow.

hen it is desired to empty the device it is most convenient to lift theextinguisher bodily from the ash receptacle separating the two partsagainst the clamping efiect of the lower end of the sides 18 and 19.\Vhen separated there is provided a wide open top to the receptacle fromwhich the ashes may be readily dumped, all the parts cleaned and theextinguisher reassembled to form the completed article. i i

The squared feet 20 and 21 may be utilized to receive the tubularportion of a conventional form of upstanding cardboard match box as isusual in such constructions and'as suggested in ghost outline in Figure3.

Having thus described my invention, I claim j 1. An ash tray including acentral portion and a pair of wing portions to form the tray H-shape inplan, a cigar extinguisher including an upstanding ash chute includingopposed sides fitting across the central portion of the tra and heldfrom movement horizontally o the cross portion of the H-shaped tray bythe wing portions, the central part of each wing portion being open attop, and cigar saddles carried by the wing portion at opposite sides ofthe adjacent opening and acting to close opposite ends of the tops ofthe wing portions.

2. A combined ash tray and cigar extinguisher comprising an open topbase supported ash receptacle, an ash chute supported centrally on topof said receptacle and pro vided with an opening discharging into thereceptacle, incompletely closing the top thereof to form an air port onone side of the chute, and an air deflector plate carried by the ashchute extending downwardly, inclined away from the same and disposed inthe ash receptacle facing said opening to cause incoming air currents tosweep the ashes towards the central portions of the receptacle.

3. A combined ash tray and cigar extinguisher comprising a basesupported ash receptacle, a readily removable unit demountably fitted tothe receptacle, constituting an ash chute discharging into thereceptacle, and coacting therewith to form the complete ash tray andcigar extinguisher, and a spring pressed cigar holding and his fin erson the rounded surfaces 31' smothering means adapted to be pressed openat its bottom to discharge its contents through the chute and into thereceptacle.

4. A combined ash tray and cigar ex-' tinguisher comprising an ashreceptacle, :1 spring controlled means including a pair of platesnormally in light bearing contact and coacting to provide an upwardlyexposed opening therebetween for engaging the cigars introduced thereto,said means being adapted to smother the cigars by a gentle pressurewithout materially distorting the configuration of the lighted cigar andsaid means adapted to be moved into a position releasing the cigars andthen acting to guide the same into the receptacle.

5. A cigar extinguisher comprising two pivotally mounted, spring pressedpressure plates coacting to form a choke-channel, normally V-shaped invertical cross section and adapted to receive the lighted end of acigarette and reacting gently on the same to smother the light withoutcrushing or otherwise materially distorting the configuration of thelighted end of the cigarette.

6. A cigar extinguisher comprising a vertically extending chuteincluding opposite outlining sides, a pair of pressure plates havingtheir upper edges hinged to the 0pposite sides of the chute and inclineddownwardly and towards each other centrally of the chute to forma chokechannel substantially V-shaped in cross section and spring disposed inthe path of movement of the plates to resist the spring movement of theplates when swinging away from each other.

7. A cigar extinguisher comprisin a pair of jaws coacting to smother acigar. inserted between the same and r0 ressivel actin i spring meansfor providing increasing degrees of resistance to the opening movementof the jaws as they are progressively moved to succeedingly greateropening positions.

8. A cigar extinguisher including a pair of plates with their upperedges pivotally mounted and coactin to form a choke channelsubstantially V- haped in vertical cross section, the upper portion ofthe plates being curved away pivoted edges to form a wide-spreadingfunnel and having their lower portions substantially straight andnormally extending vertically and parallel to each other to form anarrow throat.

9. A cigar extinguisher including a pair of plates with their upperedges ivotally mounted-and coacting to form a cho e channelsubstantially V-shaped in vertical cross section, the upper portions ofthe plates being curved away trom each other towards their pivoted edgesto form a wide-spreading funnel and having their lower portionssubstantially straight and normally extending vertically and parallel toeach other to form a narrow throat, and a pair of springs, one for eachplate, each disposed in the path of opening movement of its associatedplate.

10. A cigar extinguisher including a pair of smothering jaws adapted toreceive the lighted end of a cigar therebetween, a spring for resistingthe initial opening movement of one of said jaws, and a supplementalspring disposed in rear of the first named spring, adapted to add itsresistance to that of the first named spring and coact therewith toresist a succeeding opening movement of the jaw.

Signed-at- New York in the county of New York and State of New ofOctober, A. D. 1925.

REGINALD O. THOMAS.

from each other towards their York this 14th day v

